The Nurses' Union and the Independent Health Workers' Union on Tuesday announced a large protest of nurses and non-medical staff in health care for Thursday, 11 May, to be staged in Zrinjevac Square in Zagreb, warning they will start preparations for a strike if their demands are not met.

Between 500 and 1,000 health care employees from all over Croatia will take part in the protest, Nurses’ Union leader Anica Prasnjak told the press after the union’s annual assembly.

The government is aware of the situation with health care personnel, but has turned a deaf ear, which is very impolite and rude, said Prasnjak, referring to the fact that they have not been invited to talks in the past week since they have been staging peaceful protests in front of hospitals across the country.

Since 3 May, the unions have been holding half-hour protests to warn about the dissatisfaction of their members and the necessity to improve their labour status.

The Nurses’ Union and the Independent Health Workers’ Union are demanding a meeting with the prime minister, that pay indices be raised by at least 10% for all health care personnel, and that their status be defined in the same way as that of doctors.

In April, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic received representatives of doctors’ associations, the government adopted a decree correcting doctors’ pay indices, and a law on their labour status is being drafted.

The Nurses’ Union and the Independent Union, which bring together over 20,000 health care employees, believe that such a partial solution has neglected and devalued them.

If the prime minister does not receive them and their demands are not met, Prasnjak announced preparations for a strike after 25 May.

“We are starting a serious strike if no one reacts, we cannot wait for September next year,” she said.